TECRO Statement on State Department Updates to
Taiwan Guidelines
On April 9, 2021, the Department of State announced it has revised its guidelines on Taiwan, substantively reflecting deepening ties between Taiwan and the United States. Taiwan welcomes this announcement, which will lead to closer engagements between Taiwan officials and their U.S. counterparts.
Taiwan and the U.S. share a deep and abiding partnership based on our common values and joint interests. In particular, we have seen growing cooperation in the areas of global health, economics, regional security, international space, and democracy promotion. Last month, Taiwan and the U.S. also signed a new MOU on Coast Guard cooperation.
In recent years, there has been bipartisan support within the U.S. towards revising past guidelines on interactions with Taiwan, with an aim towards facilitating greater engagements. This included the passage of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020, supported by members of Congress from both parties, as well as past actions to ease restrictions on the bilateral relationship.
We appreciate that the Department of State has made clear that the new guidelines encourage U.S. government engagement with Taiwan, while noting that Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner for the U.S. We look forward to continuing to work together with U.S. counterparts to advance our longstanding partnership.
